Airline fined Rs 50,000 for cancelling ticket
New Delhi - The state consumer commission has pulled up private airline, Air Deccan, for cancelling the tickets of a passenger, booked six months in advance in a promotional fare scheme, just six days ahead of the departure date. The airline has been fined Rs 50,000 of which Rs 25,000 has been given as compensation to the consumer while the rest has been deposited in the state welfare consumer fund.
The airline had told the passenger that the flights on the Mumbai-Delhi route were not operational between May 1 and May 31, 2007 but contrary to claims, the passenger found out that the flights were not cancelled. As a result, he along with two of his relatives had to fly on a more costly flight that cost him an additional Rs 7,650.
Air Deccan told the commission that the passenger himself had cancelled the tickets. However, the passenger, Ajay Goel, claimed that he had on November 12, 2006 booked a return air ticket for himself and his two relatives, Basant Garg and Saurabh Garg, under the airline's promotional fare scheme at a basic fare of less than Rs 300.
The tickets had been booked for May 3 and May 6. However, on April 26, 2007 — just six days before the departure — he received a call from the airline's Bangalore head office that his tickets had been cancelled due to a techincalglitch. Goel was further told that the flights were not operational from Mumbai to Delhi from May 1 to May 31 and he would be refunded the fare. He checked out the site regarding the status of departure flights and found that flights were actually operational.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Comments
It is a manifest 'disgrace' that an Airline of the repute of DECCAN could stoop to such low level tactics for a measly few hundred Rupees. What DECCAN has lost in repute can never be regained even over a few years to come. What is there to stop DECCAN 'bumping' you off a flight when you arrive at the Airport with a confirmed ticket pre paid days ago. I was the victim of an Indian Airline 'bumping' a few years ago despite having an confirmed Business Class ticket from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur.
Unfortunately in those days there were no Courts in Malaysia to hear such cases and Airlines do know that Passengers would not want to go to the extent of spending money on lawyers and court fees to fight a simple bump off. Despite my complaint, the Airline did not even have the courtesy of giving an aplogy. It is the haughtiness of Airlines that is getting the Sirline bosses and crew into more problems with passengers.
I also had my wife and my self bumped off an AUSTRIAN AIRWAYS confirmed flight from Vienna to Kuala Lumpur. It was traumatic to get into such a situation - BUT DO AIRLINES CARE? However the EC has now brought swift punishment for Airlines that fly into Europe and Out of Europe and this hopefully has reduced the scoruge of bumping passengers off confirmed flights. I remember that the Transport Minister of Nigeria threatened to ban any flight into or out of Nigeria which over booked seats on flights. Such 'medicine' is slowly bringing airlines to some sembalance of decency but I still travel with trepidation whenever I take any flight because I do not know what the connecting or return flight has in store fgor me. That trauma is enough to stop me or my family taking flights for holidays. We rather spend the money within Malaysia which has excellent holidat resorts and food that meets our palate.
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